Chapter 26

"A festival? What timing." Malik laughed and dragged Keira deep into the crowd. "Would you like me to win you something? A stuffed animal?"

Keira raised an eyebrow and looked at the ball toss. The teddy bear is cute and all, but I don't think that's appropriate for our journey. "No, thank you. No extras."

"Ah, right. Oh, food. I'll buy us a kabob." He weaved through the crowd to a vendor.

This town is so lively. Oh! Is she okay? Keira walked off to the side and knelt down in front of a little girl who was crying. "Hello there. What's wrong? Did you hurt yourself?" Keira lightly tapped the girl's bloody knee, and a light layer of ice misted over it, cooling the wound.

The girl's eyes widened, and she stopped crying. "It doesn't hurt anymore. What did you do?"

Keira held a finger up to her lips and winked. "Used a little magic."

"Magic?!" Her eyes lit up. "I want to use magic too!"

"Maybe someday, when you're older. So, why are you here alone?"

"I got lost in the crowd and fell over. My brother told me to stay close, but I lost track of him." She pouted, picking at her pink skirt.

"Then we should help you find him. Kabob?" Malik knelt down beside Keira and held out the stick.

Oops, he probably had to look for me.

The little girl looked at Malik, then back at her. "It's okay."

"Thank you." She took the kabob from Malik.

"Now, how do we find her brother?"

"He's probably looking for her already," Malik said.

"Do you want me to lift you onto my shoulders?" Keira offered. "Then you can look around for him."

The little girl nodded, her cheeks full of chicken.

"Well, it might go better on my shoulders." Malik swooped the little girl up onto his shoulders. "Sorry, Keira; I know you're not short, but I'm still taller." He handed Keira the other kabob.

He has a point. Keira shrugged and bit into the kabob. Mmm, that's pretty good. She spotted the girl reaching out to her, so she held up her hand for the girl to grab.

"Sara, Sara!" a teenage boy with short black hair yelled as he frantically weaved through the crowd.

"Vahn?!" The little girl let go of Keira's hand and waved. "Over here!"

Hearing his name, the boy looked around until he spotted Sara sitting on Malik's shoulders. "Sara!" He rushed up to them. His eyes widened in recognition, and he bowed. "T-thank you for keeping my sister safe."

"I'm glad we found you so fast," Malik said as he helped the girl down. "Maybe don't let go of her hand in big crowds like this."

Sara ran to him and hugged his leg.

"R-right. I'm sorry."

Malik ruffled his hair. "Just be more careful from now on. Family is precious."

"Yes, sir." He peeked up at Keira before bowing again. "Goodbye." He walked away holding his little sister's hand.

"A good deed in a random town. You're definitely not just the Ice Queen."

Keira cringed.

"Oh, don't like your nickname? You're so widely known, even the kids here recognized you."

"Me? Wouldn't it make more sense if they recognized you? We're still in your territory."

"Sure, and there are probably portraits of me somewhere, but I wasn't the one he kept looking at." Malik laughed. "You're more famous than me, even here."

At least he's not angry about it, not that he seems the type to be.

"Look, people dancing." They finally found the source of the music. "Let's join them."

"What?" Keira tried to pull back, but got dragged along. "I don't dance. I can't dance. Just ask Aki's toes." Though it didn't seem to bother him.

"Oh, so you've danced with him? Now I must insist." Malik laughed as he pulled her into the crowd of people dancing to the upbeat, playful music. He bowed to her, fluttering his eyes as he gazed up at her.

What in the world is he doing? "Oh!" Keira gasped as he took her hand again and drew her in close.

"There isn't much to it, my queen; just move your body to the music."

"I'm not your queen..."

"Yet." He chuckled.

"What was that?" It's too hard to hear in this crowd. Keira attempted to mimic Malik's movements, awkwardly moving her arms and twisting around.

Malik suddenly pulled her closer. "Relax. Just listen to the beat and move to it freely. This is for fun; it's nothing formal, and no one is watching."

The music? Her head bobbed to it, and her body followed with a little encouragement from Malik.

At the end of the song, the crowd cheered, and someone bumped into Keira from behind.

"Ack!" She stumbled forward, straight into Malik, who held her up.

"For someone so steady on her feet in a fight, you sure lose awareness when dancing."

"Can't disagree with you there." Keira sighed and looked into the crowd. Her eyes locked with another man's. Aki?

His mouth downturned, he pulled up the hood of his cloak and vanished into the crowd.

What was that about? He looked... sad, for some reason. She stepped toward him, and Malik took her hand once again.

"You're not bailing on me already, are you? There's still more fun to be had!"

"There's more?" But what about Aki? She looked around in the crowd, but couldn't find him.

"Come along, let's enjoy it more."

---

Keira stared up at the stars and full moon above as a chill filled the air.

"Are you cold?" Malik rested his hand on her shoulder, pulling her close.

"The cold doesn't bother me." Her eyes glowed for a second.

Malik chuckled. "Of course, how silly of me. Though maybe it was an excuse to get closer."

"Why would you want to be?"

Malik's eyes widened slightly, and he cleared his throat. "In case I haven't been as abundantly clear as I think, it's because I like you. I like you romantically. I was actually thinking today has been a date."

"As oblivious as I am, I got that, but I don't get why. You don't really have a reason to like me, nor do you know me all that well."

"I'm enjoying getting to know you, though. And it seems to me you severely underestimate yourself."

"So, is it because I'm strong? There are plenty of strong women around. My looks? I don't even know how to comment on that one, but I don't think I'm anything all that special." I've been wondering why Aki seems to as well. Maybe they're both just crazy.

Malik huffed and closed his eyes. After a moment, he stared into her eyes. "First, I want to say that you don't need a reason to fall for someone; sometimes you just do. Second, you're amazing in every way. So far, I've loved everything about you. Your looks, your fighting abilities, the way you take care of Sora and everyone else... You're amazing, Keira, and I wish you could see what others see in you."

Keira frowned, replaying his words.

"I even love this side of you." He pressed on the wrinkle between her brows. "That thinks so deeply and cutely about everything."

How do you think cutely?

"It seems I have yet to win you over, but I hope you at least had fun tonight. We have a long journey ahead yet, and I fear something mighty shall stand in our way."

She thought about the dancing, food, and Malik's upbeat attitude. "I... I did have fun."

"Then that is enough for now." He bowed and kissed the back of her hand. "I suppose it's time to head back and get some well-deserved sleep." He put her hand around his arm so he could escort her to the inn.

On their way back, Keira suddenly stopped. "You know what? I'm not sure there's a point in pursuing me."

"Ouch." Malik cringed.

"I don't mean I dislike you. I mean, in anyone pursuing me. I can leave for weeks at a time or worse, and I'm always putting myself in danger. That sounds like a lot of unnecessary worry to put onto another person."

"You can't help but worry about those you care about, romantically or otherwise. I'm sure your family worries about you."

I haven't even tried to think of them in a long time. "I don't have any. Rui is the closest to that."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

Keira shook her head. "It's fine. I used to brood over it when I was little, but I stopped thinking about my family a long time ago, since I was too young to remember much anyway. Shun was also trying to get me to marry someone, too..." Keira sighed, shaking her head. "I think I'm better off without more attachments."

"That so?" He raised an eyebrow. "But I think you've already been making them on this trip. Aki seems attached, and despite being a bit afraid of you, Fiona is, too. And of course, I am." He brushed a strand of hair back behind her ear.

"Unavoidable during this mission, I suppose. Afterward, it's likely back to Rui and me."

"Doesn't mean we suddenly don't know and care for each other."

Keira looked away from him and took a deep breath. Maybe it's better I don't have deep conversations with people in the first place...

"You can't live your life alone just because you're afraid to lose people."

I can try. "I'm not alone; Rui's always around."

Malik smirked. "That can change too, but I suppose you have that much faith in him."

They started walking again, through the emptying town. Remnants of the festival were still left behind.

"Say, what do you think of Aki?" Malik asked.

"He's proven that he has skills that come in handy on missions, but I fear his lack of experience will be his downfall."

"I don't know why I expected a different answer." Malik sighed and stared up at the inn. "Back already. It's a shame our walk wasn't longer."

He seems disappointed in my answer. "It's best we rest, anyway." I think the festival wore me out more than the travelling.

"I suppose so, though I wouldn't mind stargazing with you."

"Goodnight, Malik."

"Goodnight, Keira." He leaned in close and kissed her on the cheek, his eyes flicking up to a window at the inn briefly before he pulled away.

He's getting awfully chummy with me; should I stop him? She lightly touched the spot where he kissed her cheek before heading inside with him.

---

"What are you looking at?" Rui asked Aki as he plopped down in bed.

Aki looked away from the window, shoulders slouching and mouth in a firm line. "Nothing..."

Rui raised an eyebrow and nudged him with his foot. "That look is definitely not nothing."

Aki shook his head and fell onto his bed, face-first on his pillow.

Rui sighed and got out of bed to look out the window in time to see Keira heading inside with Malik. "Oh, I see what it is. I'd say tough luck, but we don't even know what happened."

Aki lifted his face off the pillow to look at him. "I saw him k-k... Ugh." He buried his face in the pillow again, unable to even finish saying it.

"Oh, I see. Well, as long as it was only one way, I wouldn't worry about it too much. This is Keira we're talking about, and as much as Malik is great and seems to like her, I'm not sure she'll see him that way."

Aki turned to look up at him. "What makes you say that? Unlike me, Malik is charming and strong; I see no reason she wouldn't fall for him."

"Well, for a normal girl, sure, but this is Keira we're talking about. If anything, she probably finds him overbearing and is wondering why he's crazy enough to want her."

"I've noticed that, but I don't understand why. She's amazing, and you'd think she'd know that by how many people admire her."

"I... don't think I should try to delve into why my partner is the way she is. She's had a lot of loss and abandonment in her lifetime, and I choose to accept her the way she is." Rui lay back down on his bed, arms folded behind his head. "Honestly, I think you have a better chance than Malik, anyway."

"What? Why? How?"

"Because despite her reputation and scowl, Keira has a soft spot for sweet, innocent animals in need of protecting."

"I see, I see... Hey!" Aki's voice hitched. "Are you calling me a defenceless animal?"

Rui snickered. "That's a good thing in this case, but kinda. You have this puppy-like thing about you."

"But I..." Aki swallowed hard, pouting.

"I know you've helped in fights, but mostly support. Your hands were shaking so much that you could barely take out a little goblin."

"B-because I'd never killed anything before and never shot at a live target..."

"I'm guessing you're having a lot of firsts on this first mission of yours. Anyway, try not to let it get to you. If you're serious about her, just don't lose hope, and do your job. Keira hates when people slack. Another reason she doesn't want to rely on others. One of many..." Rui yawned and closed his eyes.

"Do my job?" he mumbled. "Maybe I should work on doing more."